One Vikings Acquisition Deserves More Buzz
The Minnesota Vikings have added a bunch of players in the 2024 offseason, the third one in Kwesi Adofo-Mensah’s tenure. Major buzz is obviously directed at the splashy rookies J.J. McCarthy and Dallas Turner, who folks hope can become big-time contributors for a long time. In free agency, Adofo-Mensah signed a plethora of players and was much more active than in the previous campaigns.
One Vikings Acquisition Deserves More Buzz
If you’d ask Vikings fans about the newcomers, they would talk about quarterback Sam Darnold and pass-rushers Andrew Van Ginkel and Jonathan Greenard. Some might remember cornerback Shaquill Griffin or returning lineman Dalton Risner. Of course, Aaron Jones is a big name in NFC North circles, and his arrival is viewed as a game-changer for the rushing attack.
One name, however, still hasn’t been mentioned: Blake Cashman.
The linebacker joined on the first day of free agency but couldn’t generate the same attraction as his teammates on defense, Greenard and Van Ginkel. Still, he will play a significant role in Brian Flores’ group.
Last season, Flores arrived and mostly had to work with the guys he already had in the building, plus a few additions like Byron Murphy, Marcus Davenport, who ended up missing most of the season, and rookie Mekhi Blackmon. He helped aging linebacker Jordan Hicks to have an excellent season, although his skillset might not have been a perfect fit for his scheme.
The Vikings had the chance to re-sign him but looked elsewhere in free agency, and he walked to the Cleveland Browns. Cashman is his successor and will slide into the starting unit next to Ivan Pace at the second level.
Cashman was selected in the fifth round of the 2019 draft and spent the first three years of his career with the New York Jets. Prior to his journey in the pros, the hometown hero (born in Eden Prairie, MN) played four years at the University of Minnesota. Injuries limited him to only 18 games with the Jets before he was traded to the Houston Texans for a sixth-rounder. He appeared in 16 contests (one start) in 2022 and 14 (13 starts) in 2023.
Last season was his true breakout season, as his snaps catapulted to 657, more than in his previous four seasons combined. In the 14 contests, Cashman logged two sacks, 106 tackles, nine tackles for loss, and his first interception in the NFL.
Pro Football Focus graded him as the eighth-best of 82 eligible off-ball linebackers. Cashman ranked 12th in run defense, 25th in pass-rush, and 16th in coverage, showing his top-notch versatility. That will be key for him in the Flores defense, as the coordinator wants to have do-it-all players on the field, and that is a big reason why the Vikings lured him to Minnesota.
Cashman is more useful in coverage than Hicks, and his grades indicate that he can match his production in the box as a pass-rusher and against the run. His range and superior speed can be another tool in Flores’ toolbox.
The veteran signed a three-year, $22.5 million contract, and he will compete with sophomore Pace for the top role in the linebacker group, although it should be noted that both can have big snap shares, and Flores will rarely sub them off.
Cashman deserves to be remembered as one of the top free-agent additions. The next date on his calendar will be the arrival in Eagan for training camp on July 23rd.
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Janik Eckardt is a football fan who likes numbers and stats. The Vikings became his favorite team despite their quarterback at the time, Christian Ponder. He is a walking soccer encyclopedia, loves watching sitcoms, and prefers Classic rock over other genres. Follow him on Twitter if you like the Vikings: @JanikEckardt